Storage battery



May 4, 1943. J. H. BUsHMAN STORAGE BATTERY Filed Jan.. 29, 1941 s sheetsfsheet 1 INVENTOR.Y

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May 4 1943 l 4.L H. BUSHMAN 2,318,371 Y Y STORAGE BATTERY Filed Jan' 29' 194)" :s sheets-sheet 2 v INVENTOR. Y .J2/z. /z/s #46am asf/MAN ATTORNEYS' May 4, 1943. .L1-l. BUSHMAN STORAGE BATTERY Filed Jang-29, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet` 5 INVENTOR JUL/as Heem@ asf/mm Af 2f 25 Patented May 4, 1943 STORAGE BATTERY Julius Harold Bushman, Willoughby, Ohio, as-

signor to Willard Storage Battery Company, y Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of West 'VirginiaY Application January 29, 1941, Serial No. 376,500

7 Claims. (Cl. `13B-170.)

This invention relates to storage batteries and has particular reference to batteries provided with auxiliary covers, such as motorcycle batteries of the general type disclosed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States filed December 2'7, 1939, in the name of Robert M. Raney,

Serial No. 311,180, now Patent No. 2,232,800 granted February 25, 1941. f

In the Raney application there is disclosed a battery with an auxiliary cover which extends entirely over the top of the battery andywhich, in addition to serving as a dust shield and as a protector for thev cell covers and the parts carried thereby, admits of the ready and convenient filling of the cells without danger of overfllling. The Raney battery has the following features of construction: The cell covers are provided near one end of the battery with filling wells which are adapted to be closed by removable ller plugs, and said cell covers are provided also, near the transverse center line of the battery, with 'a series of separate vent openings formed inthe upper ends of protuberances which are molded in and project upwardly from the cell covers. 'I'he auxlliary cover has adjacent one end thereof a series of openings which afford access to the ller plugs carried by the cell covers, and to avoid overiilling the auxiliary cover is provided with means for closing the Ivent opening of each cell while it is being lled. This is accomplished by providing the auxiliary cover with a transversely extending depressed portion in the bottom of which are arranged flexible dome-shaped caps which are arranged directly above the vent openings of the different cell covers in `a manner such that the operator may, by depressing these caps. close the vent openings beneath them so as to trap air on the underside of the cover of the cell being filled and thus prevent overiilling.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a battery of the general type disclosed in the Raney application but provided with novel and efficient means dilerent vthan embodied in the Raney construction for` closing the vent openings of the various cell covers` during filling. n

The invention may be further summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims. .I

In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have shown the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a battery constructed in accordance with my invention.

,the section being taken along 'the line I--I of Fig. 4;

Fig. 2` is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, the section being taken along theirregular line 2 2 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a clamp which in this instance is used to fastenv the auxiliary cover in place; v u

Fig. 4 is a planview of the battery with the `auxiliary cover in place;

supported by the cell cover but having a Astem projecting through the'auxiliary cover and accessible from the top thereof;

Figs. 9 and 10 are top and bottom views vIfespectively of said valve; and v Fig. 11 isa fragmentary sectional view showing the valve for one of the cells of the battery depressed so as'to close thevent opening of the cell, the parts shown inr Figs. v8 to l11 being onv a somewhat enlarged scale.

Referring now to the drawings, vI0 represents va, battery box which may be molded from hard rubber or other suitable composition and ywhich is provided in the case of a multi-cell battery with the usual integrally molded partitions II (Figs. 2 and 6) dividing the battery box into cell compartments. The battery may have any number of cells, a three-cell battery being here illusvsealed therein in the customary manner bysealing compound I6. The top of the cover is below the upper edge of the case I0 so as to provide a space for the intercell connectors, the main other parts to be reterminals, and certain ferred to.A I

The two posts 'I3 of each cell may be sealed in the covers I5 inany of the customary ways, but.

as here shown, they extend through rubber sealing bushings I 1 fitted into recesses formed on the undersides of the covers. In this instance, the covers I5 are positioned in the upper portions of the cell compartments by the engagement of the lower ends of the bushings I1 with shoulders Ila formed on the lower portions of the posts I3.

' By referenceto Fig. 6 it lwill be seen that `the posts at two of the diagonally opposite corners of the battery have terminal members I8 leadburned thereto, these having extensions I8a constituting the main terminals of the battery which project diagonally outward through slots or openings formed partly in extensions Illa of the sides of the case III near diagonally opposite corners and partly in extensions ISG of the auxiliary cover I3 to be referred to presently. The other cell posts are lead-burned to intercell connectors the middle portions of which extend through notches Ila formed in the upper portions of the partitions II..

`Referring -again to the cell covers I5 which, in this instance, are deeper and narrower than the usual cell covers, each of these covers has at one end a filling opening or well 2I `formed in a tubular portion of the cover with a skirt-like extension 22 on the underside of the cover and extending down to substantially the normal electrolyte level of the cell and with an extension 23 which projects above the top of the cover and is internally threaded near its upper end to receive the threaded shank of a Aremovable filler plug 24. The filling openings 2I with the tubular extensions 22 and 23 for the various cells are arranged in a row near one end of the battery. Additionally, each sell cover is provided about centrally and on the upper side thereof with an upwardly extending protuberance, having a passageway 25a extending therethrough and terminating at its upper end in a small vent'opening 2t. The passageway 25a is preferably tapered j although I do not regard this as essential. The lower end of this passageway is enlarged to form a condensing chamber 21, and below this con-I densing chamber formed on the under or inner side of the cover is a slotted skirt portion 28. The condensing chamber may have one or more perforated bailles 29 4extending across the same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The protuberances 25. with the vent openings 26 are arranged in a row extending transversely of the battery centrally thereof.

Reverting to the auxiliary cover I9 to which reference was made previously, this cover, like the cell covers I5, is preferably molded from hard y the auxiliary cover and the top of the case are not clamped in direct firm engagement but, instead, a cushion is provided, between the underside of the auxiliary cover and the top of the battery proper. In this instance, this cushion consists of soft rubber pads or buttons 30 tted into recesses molded into the underside of the auxiliary cover and arranged so as to engage the upper ends of the cell posts of the battery, Prefcover engaging arms 3Ia which'extend transversely over the top of the auxiliary cover and. are provided with downturned ends 3Ib which extend downwardly below the marginal ange of the auxiliary cover and engage opposite sides of the battery case, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Additionally, the clamp is provided with a cross-bar 3Ic which in this instance is provided with a central depressed seat 3| d to accommodate the lower end of a cover holding and battery clamping stud 32 adapted to engage a suitable part 3l carried by the motorcycle or forming a part of the frame thereof.

It is desirable, of course. that access be had to the filler plugs without disturbing the auxiliary cover I9 or the clamp 3| therefor, and, accordingly, the auxiliary cover is provided with a row of openings I9f to laccommodate the upper e'nds of the tubular extensions 23 of the lling openings or at least the knurled portionsof the filler plugs 24 which are arranged at one end of the battery. At this end of the battery, the auxiliary cover has a lowered ilattened portion I9d with ribs [Sel (Figs. 4 and 5) extending between the filler plugs, thus providing protecting walls which reduce the likelihood of injury to the protruding portions of the plugs.

' extending transversely across thesame, this n ber.

depression having sloping sides, upright ends located kadjacent the downturned margin of the auxiliary cover, and a substantially flat bottom which is located directly above the transverse row of vent openings 26 in the protuberances 2l formed in the cell covers and spaced a suitable distance therefrom. n

v As before stated, inthe Raney construction the vent openings are adapted to be closed by ilex- -ible dome-shaped caps, and these are held in' place by suitable interfitting grooves and ribs formed on the base portions of the caps and the walls of the openings which receive them, but in my construction a different vent closing means is provided and the same will now be described. For closing the vent openings I employ depressible valve members which are supported by the cell covers and preferably by the vent protuberances 25 of the cell covers but which are accessible above the bottom of the depressed portion ISg of the auxiliary cover. These `valve members, which are shown detached at 34 in Figs. 8,

-9, and 10, may be formed of any suitable material inert to the battery electrolyte, such as rub- They are provided with a disk-like or annular body portion 34a provided at the top with a centrally disposed upstanding stem 34h and at ythe bottom with a plurality of spaced lugs or feetl 34e projectng down from the peripheral'portion of the lower side of the Valve body 34a. The upper part of the body 34a and the stem 34h are firm or rigid and the lower part of the body and the feet 34o are exble and elastic. Normally, the lower ends of the feet 34C rest on the slop ing sides of the protuberances 25 of the diierent cell covers with the lowerv sides of the valve bodies 34a spaced slightly above the vent openthe vent opening 26.

ings at the upper ends of the protuberances. At thev same time the stems 34D project f reely through openings |9h. formed in the bottom of the depressed portion |9g of the auxiliary cover. If desired, between the openings |971. which receive the stems 34h, transverse ribs lili-may be provided, as best shownin Figs. 4 and 5.

Although when the auxiliary cover vis in place the valves 34 rest on the cell covers and are freely movable with respect tol the auxiliary cover by depressing the stems, as mentioned above, nevertheless they-are preferably carried by the auxiliary cover so as to go with the auxiliary cover when it is applied or removed. This will prevent loss 'of the valves when the auxiliary cover is removed from the top .of the battery for any purpose. To accomplish this result, the upper ends of the stems are preferably provided with knobs 34d which are larger than the openings the assembly of the auxiliary cover and the valves, the knobs may be cemented orotherwise attached to the valve stems 34h after they have been extended through the openings |9h of the auxiliary cover or they may be formed of soft rubber, in which event they can` be vulcanized to the upper ends of the stems. In the latter case the knobs would have sufcient flexibility that they could be pushed through the openings |9h from the underside.

or have some other distinguishing color so that they can be readily located.

As the vent protuberances 25 project freely into the hollow space beneathlthe body portions 34a of the valves 34,l the latter do not normally;

interfere with the venting of the cells, the venting taking place through the vent openings 26 under the valves and then'into the space between the auxiliarycover and out. from this space around the edges of the auxiliary the cell covers and |911, which receive the stems 34h. To permit The stems or the enlarged -upper ends thereof may be colored red lli depression, coupled with the fact that the central y cross-arm 3|c of the clamp is narrow vand is bowed upwardly, easy access is afforded vto all the valve stems Y3412 including the stem of the valve for the middle'cell. 1

As previously stated, the valves 34 may be formed of any suitable material, such as rubber. If formed of rubber, the upper part-of the valve body and the stem will be formed of hard `rubber composition and the lower part of the valve body and the feet depending therefrom will be formed of soft rubber composition. While rubber is preferred', some other plastic or combination of plastics may be used in forming the hard upper part and the soft iiexible lower part, and included among these other materials are the artificial rubbers sold under various trade names.

While I have vshown one form of valve and one way by which access may be had to the valves from the top of the auxiliary cover, I do notdesire to be confined to the precise details shown and described but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which dov not involve a departure from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a storage battery, a container having a cell compartment, a cell cover sealed in the' compartment, a battery element inthe compartment having one or more terminals extending through and sealed in the cell cover, said cell cover having f a normally closed filling `opening with an imper- 34C of the valve are flexed and the lower part of the valve body engages the top of the protuberance and closes the ventopening 26. It will be understood that liquid will be supplied until the operator sees it rising in the filling opening. Thereupon the operator will release the valve 34 i'or this cell so that the iiexible and elastic feet 34e will elevate the valve so as to again open This breaks the seal of the vent opening and the liquid in the filling opening will flow lyte will assume the desired predetermined level. This is repeated for each cell, with the result that overfilling is prevented notwithstanding the presence of the auxiliary cover. Thus the filling is done as conveniently as though the top of the battery were not covered by the auxiliary cover.

It might be here stated that the clamp 3| does not interfere with the depressing of the valves 34 since the clamping arms 3|a engage the auxiliary cover on opposite sides of the depressed portion |9g, and because of the fact that the stemsof the valves project through the base of the down into the cell and the electro-l ifi forate sleeve-like extension extending down from the lower side of the cover to substantially the normal electrolyte'level and having also a normally open .vent opening separate from the filling opening, an auxiliary cover secured to the top of the battery and serving as a protector for the cell cover and the parts carried thereby, saidv auxil-y `l`lary cover having a pair of openings one aiording access to the iilling opening, and a valve having a yieldable open lower portion, said valve at all times resting on the cell cover andI having an' imperforate portiony located above said vent open# ingand a stem extending through said otherA opening of the auxiliary cover and serving when actuated lin one direction to close said vent opening whereby the. ventopening may be closed while 'the cell is being filled and when released serving by spring action to open the vent opening.

2. In a storage battery, a container having a cell compartment, a cell cover sealed in the compartment, said cell cover having a normally closed fillingI opening with an imperforate sleeve-like ex-V tension extending'down from the lower side of the cover to substantially the normal electrolyte level and havingalso a normally open vent opening separate from the filling opening, an auxiliary cover secured to the top of the battery and having an opening affording access to the iilling opening of the vcell cover, and a valve supported by the cell cover for closing said vent opening while the cell is being iilled, said valve having a yieldable open lower portion at all times resting on the cell cover andhaving an imperforate por-- tion above the vent opening and astem extending through the auxiliary cover and accessible from the top of the latter whereby when said stem is vdepressed the imperforate portion closes the ven opening and when said stem is vreleased the ven opening is opened by spring action.

3. In a storage battery, a container having cell compartment, a cell cover sealed in the com partment, a battery element in the compartmen having one or more terminals extending throug and sealed in the cell cover, said cell cover havin mally open vent opening separate from the. ll-

ing opening, an auxiliary cover securedto the top of the container having an opening aiording access to the iilling opening of the cell cover and lhaving a depressed portion with an opening in the base thereof, and a valve supported by the the cell cover above the vent opening thereofv and having a yieldable lower portion with an opening therein, an imperforate portion immediately above :the vent opening and a stem extending` through said second opening in the auxiliary cover and accessible from the top of the latter whereby the stem on being depressed closes the vent opening while the cell is being filled and on being released opens said vent opening by spring action.

4. In a storage battery, a container having a cell compartment, a cell cover `sealed in the compartment, a battery'element in the compartment having one or moreterminals extending through and sealed in the cell cover, said cell cover having a normally closed filling opening with an imperforate sleeve-like extension extending down from the lower side of the cover to substantially the normal electrolyte level and having also a normally open vent opening separate from the filling opening, an auxiliary cover secured to the l top of the container havingan opening `affording access to the filling opening of the cell cover and having a depressed portion with an opening in the Ibase thereof, and a valve supported |by the cell cover above the vent opening thereof and having -a stem extending through said second valves having yieldablelower portions with one or more openings therein at all times supported on the cell covers above the vent openings and having imperforate portions above the vent openings and stems extending through and accessible from the top of the 'auxiliary cover whereby the vent openings of the different cells may be closed while the cells are being lled and are opened by spring action. l

6. In a storage battery, a container having a plurality of cell compartments, cell covers sealed in the compartments, said cell covers having normally closed filling openings with imperforate sleeve-like extensions extending down from the lower sides of said covers to substantially the normal electrolyte level and having also normally open vent openings separate from the filling openings', said filling openings being arranged in a row extending across the battery near one end thereof and the ventl openings being arranged in'a row extending across the battery intermediate the ends thereof, and an auxiliary cover secured to the top of the battery and serving as a protector for the diierent cell covers .and the parts carried thereby, said auxiliary cover having adjacent one end thereof a series of openings affording access to the iilling openings of the cell covers and a plurality of valves supported bythe cell covers for closing the vent openings while the cells are being filled, said valves having relatively soft elastic lower ends above the vent openings with one or moreopenings therein and with an imperforate portion above the vent openings and with stems extending through the auxiliary cover and opening in the auxiliary cover, said valve having l an imperforate upper portion including a stem and a flexible and elastic open lower portion at all times supported by the cell cover, said stem being accessible from the top of the auxiliary cover whereby it may be depressed to cause the valve to close'the vent opening while the cell is being filled and on being released said vent opening being opened by the elasticity of the lower portion of the valve.

5. Ina storage battery, a container having a plurality of cell compartments, cell covers sealed in the compartments, said cell covers having normally closed filling openingsI with imperforate sleeve-like extensions extending down from the lower sides of said covers `to substantially f the. normal electrolyte level and having also nor- Y mally openvvent openings separate from the filling openings, said iilling openings being arranged in a row` extending across the battery near one end thereof and the vent openings being arranged in a row extending across the battery intermediate the ends thereof, and an auxiliary cover secured to the top of the battery and serving as a protector for the different cell covers and the parts carried thereby, said auxiliary cover having adjacent one end thereof a series of openings affording access to the filling openings of the cell covers and a plurality of valves supported by the cell covers for closing the vent openings, said accessible from the top of the latter whereby they may be depressed to cause the soft lower ends of the valves to close the vent openings during the iilling of the cells and when released the vent openings are opened by the spring in the rubber. r

7. In a storage battery, a container having a cell compartment, a cell cover sealed in the compartment, a battery element in the compartment, said cell cover having a normally closed iilling opening with an imperforate sleeve-like extension extending down from the lower side of the cover to substantially the normal electrolyte level and having also a normally open vent opening separate from the filling opening, an auxiliary cover removably secured to the top of the battery and serving as a protector for the cell cover and the parts carried thereby, said auxiliary cover having apair of openings one affording access to the Vfilling opening, and a valve having a' lower portion with an opening therein at'all times when the auxiliary cover is in place resting on the cell cover and having an imperforate upper portion with a stem extending through said other opening of the auxiliary cover and serving when actuated in one direction to close the vent opening while the cell is being lled and when released opening the vent opening by spring action, said valve being carried by and removable with said auxiliary cover when the latterv is removed from the top of the battery.

JULIUS HAROLD BUSHMAN. 

